SpellHold: Thief and Mage
by KA
Summary: Mismatched duo Xzar and Montaron are sent to free a high-ranking Zhent agent from SpellHold. Twist on BG2. Eventual, light Xzar/Montaron pairing; I think these two are cute :)
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1  
  
It had been exactly eight months since his last mission. Despite his intense desire to return to his home in Cormyr, he had been forced to spend each and every one of those eight months of liberty here, in Amn, licking his wounds from the previous mission. The Red Wizard he and his partner had tracked down and killed had packed an immense surprise for them when they had finally cornered and exposed him: the wizard wasn't a man at all, but rather a dragon. A large, angry red dragon named Thaxylliarvas. It had dumbfounded and horrified he and his partner, but they had managed to strike the beast down...using, of course, very rudimentary tactics. In other words, it had come down to making his partner dash about and divert the dragon's attention, whilst he hacked away like mad after fidning his way atop the creature's back. Surprise surprise, Thaxylliarvas had fallen within fifteen minutes.  
  
Montaron thoughtfully fingered the dragonscale armor he wore and smirked cockily. At least he'd gotten something out of the deal...well, other than scars, gold and a sensitive knee, of course. He was currently standing in the sitting room of a derelict house, waiting for his employer to make his appearance and let him know what it was that he and his partner were needed for. The house itself was situated in the slums of Amn, where every petty crook, swindler and poor bastard could be seen at least twice a day if you stood outside and wacthed the streets. This was not Montaron's favourite place to be, nor was it his partner's, but as Zhentarim agents they didn't have much choice when it came to keeping a low profile.  
  
Idly, Montaron looked around to find his partner who, for some reason, was being strangely quiet. He found the man not ten feet away, bent sideways and peering into an oddly-shaped glass tank that appeared to be an aquarium of sorts. As if the other man had felt Montaron's eyes on him, he spoke without turning.  
  
"Monty!" The man called in an excited half-whisper, "You really must see this!" Montaron rolled his eyes.  
  
"They're fish, ye daft wizard! Get yerself away from there before someone sees ye acting like a blasted fool." He growled back. Of course, if his employer did see his partner acting like a fool, he or she probably wouldn't care. Anyone who had ever been remotely near Xzar for more than 5 minutes could tell that the man was at least partially insane. Despite the occasional twitching and random exclamations however, Xzar was a deceptively clever fellow -- which was surely why the Zhents kept him under their hand. It was Montaron's second year in partnership with the wizard after being paired with him by a previous employer, and though he didn't understand -- and often had difficulty tolerating -- Xzar most of the time, he acknowledged the man's arcane talents and didn't really mind working with him. After all, a sticky-fingered halfling such as himself would look much less suspicious travelling with a human wizard than roaming about alone.  
  
"Why must you always be so moody?" Xzar complained, turning away from the tank and slowly making his way back to his partner, "Do you not find anything amusing other than sinking your blade into some poor fellow's gullet?" He stopped beside the shorter man and smoothed the front of his robes. Montaron snorted.  
  
"Not really, no." He answered curtly, then an evil grin slowly crept onto his face, "Though I was rather amused by yer silence a few minutes ago..." His grin was instantly replaced by a scowl as Xzar's fist connected with his shoulder. As if on cue, an elaborately-robed man appeared in the doorway that lead further back into the house. He looked thoroughly unimpressed, irritated and tired; his slender hands were clasped just as tightly as his thin lips. His eyes darted from the grinning Xzar to the sneering Montaron and seemed to be wondering if these two were indeed the pair he was supposed to be meeting. Finally, he spoke.  
  
"Hello." His voice was accented, "My name is Edwin Odessieron, but you..." He paused and frowned, "...simians may refer to me as merely 'sir' if you prefer a less intense syllabic workout." He forced a smile and it ended up making him look like he was in pain, "You have been hired -- and not by me, I assure you -- to retrieve Terrece, a member of the High Council of the Zhentarim, from SpellHold." His frown deepened as Xzar's grin disappeared and was replaced by a look of utter disbelief, "Yes, I realize that you are blundering idiots and I must admit that I considered not even relaying this task to you and reporting back with the news of your sudden deaths..." He sneered, "...but my superirors were quite adamant in the matter." Montaron scowled darkly up at him.  
  
"Do ye realize what yer askin'?!" He cried incredulously, "How in the nine Hells are we supposed to get into SpellHold? We can't exactly walk up to the Government District, grab a Cowled Wizard by the throat and demand to be tele-whatever'd there! If we so much as mention SpellHold the authorities will be on us like flies on crap!" Beside him, Xzar snickered. Edwin, however, remained unimpressed.  
  
"Whoa there, vertically-challenged one. Relax." He drawled in mock- soothing and Montaron shot him a look of death, "I've arranged for you to meet with a Mr. Ployer in the Docks District just southwest of here. Mister Ployer can help you with your task if you help him in turn." He smiled bitterly, "You see, we owe Mister Ployer a favor, and it is very important for us to keep our slate clean if you see what I am saying." He turned a dull look upon Xzar and added dryly, "Though I would think not." At this Xzar snapped.  
  
"I understand you perfectly well, Mister Odessieron." The wizard cut in sharply, eyeing the other man irritably, "I would suggest you cease your incessant mockery before you find yourself short a few limbs." He smiled chillingly and beside him, Montaron's hand rested atop the hilt of his sword. Edwin scoffed.  
  
"Do not threaten me, tool. It is not in your best interest." He purred and returned Xzar's cold smile, "Now then. Find Ployer and he will provide further details at his convenience. I will be monitoring your progress, if any, and should you need serious help feel free to consult me. I will be in the Docks district as well -- inquire about Mae'Var's guildhouse and you will find me therein." He flicked a speck off the sleeve of his crimson robe, "I am a busy man, so try your very best not to bother me." He raised an eyebrow at his hirelings, "That is all. Off with you. And don't screw up."  
  
Montaron grabbed Xzar, who was standing quite still and staring intently at Edwin, by the arm and shoved him towards the door behind them, "Sleep lightly, task master!" He called over his shoulder at Edwin as he and his partner exited the house. When they were outside, Xzar slammed the door loudly.  
  
"Monty," He declared pointedly, "I don't think I like that man." Montaron chuckled.  
  
"The feelin's more'n mutual, wizard." He motioned to the road ahead, "Move. Let's get this over with quickly; I don't want to deal with that troll any longer'n I have to." He urged. They moved to the roadside and started in the direction of the southern district exit. It was late afternoon and very few people haunted the streets; Montaron figured that by this hour, most of the town's inhabitants -- well, those who had any money -- had all gathered at the tavern. Xzar frowned and began to finger the cuff of his sleeve.  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, that Odessieron fellow voiced a half- decent concern." He remarked, "The man we're to free from SpellHold sounds rather stately. We may not be the kind of help needed for the situation..." He looked down at Montaron, "...improvised dragonslaying and assassinations are one thing, but taking on the Cowled Wizards of SpellHold is entirely different...and, I'm afraid, distinctly out of our league." Montaron shrugged at this.  
  
"So what're ye sayin'?" He retorted derisively, "That someone up in the ranks has a speech impediment and that names got mangled along that way to Edwin? Bah." He made a dismissive gesture with his hand, "They hired us for a reason." Xzar nodded.  
  
"Exactly!" He exclaimed and kicked a small grey cat out of his way, "It's my hypothesis that we've been chosen to accomplish this particular task because we don't have a public face. Think about it, Monty. We haven't really done anything monumental, and if you mention my name or yours in the average local tavern, not one pair of ears would quirk. If this Terrece fellow is really a member of the High Council --" He paused and rolled his eyes, "-- and, from previous experience, there is a distinct possibility that he may very well not be -- then the law will be on the lookout for the 'Zhent Top Ten', so to speak. Being of lower rank, it should be easier to slip about without encountering too much resistance." He smiled contentedly at this but Montaron seemed unimpressed.  
  
"Whatever." He grumbled, "Either way, all of Amn'll be right crawlin' with soldiers and spies and the like. To Hell with yer guessin', wizard; I say we'll run into just as much resistance as any remotely suspicious individual." He then added lightly, "Not that I'm complainin' about the resistance, mind you." Xzar laughed shortly.  
  
"Not that you would, no." He replied with a smirk. As they rounded a corner, an ashen-faced woman on her front step stared at them as they passed by. Xzar waved and the woman dashed back inside her house at once, "Well that was rude." He mumbled calmly. Montaron snorted.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell ye, wizard? No one likes ye." He shook his head, scanning the deserted road ahead, "Yer a freak." Xzar sighed and looked down at himself, then compulsively combed his relatively- short hair with his fingers.  
  
"Shut up! You're the short one with pointed ears and hairy feet!" He quipped defensively, fighting to keep his voice down. Montaron lashed out with his arm and hit the wizard across the lower ribs.  
  
"Be quiet, ye blasted fool!" He snapped at once as Xzar doubled over and fell behind, "Can we not speak for a while? Eh? That way at least one of us will keep his sanity." There came the sound of hurried footsteps and soon Xzar had caught up with him again. The wizard stared straight ahead sulkily. Montaron grinned widely and sighed.  
  
"Ahhhhhh," He breathed nice and loud, "There we go. There's that blessed silence again."  
  
They travelled in silence as the day wore thin. It was early fall in Amn and the wind got chilly when dusk settled in. When the sun went down in the slums, it was darker than in any other populated region; there were very few lights the further away one got from the Tavern, and stray animals came out of their hiding places in the alleys to take advantage of nocturnal prey. The streets were even more barren of life than they were during the day. Montaron nearly jogged to keep up with Xzar's long strides as the two of them quickly made their way to the District exit and towards the inviting stone archway that marked the entrance to the Docks.  
  
The difference was shocking at best. The houses in this part of Amn were illuminated and decent-looking, a few people walked the streets either leisurely or on their way home, shouts and chatter wafted up from the Sea's Bounty -- the local Inn and Tavern -- in the center of the town. The Docks district was built on slanted ground, and two long, opposing stairwells loftily snaked down and through the town until they reached the seaside, where tethered boats of all shapes and sizes gently swayed in the waves. Montaron took a deep breath.  
  
"Now this is better. Not great, but better." He declared with satisfaction. Beside him, Xzar wrinkled his nose at the salty smell of the sea below.  
  
"May I speak now?" He asked his partner meekly. Montaron shook his head and started off towards the right-hand staircase.  
  
"No. Ye'll ruin it for me." He replied curtly. Xzar stuck his tongue out at the halfling and followed him down the stairs to the Sea's Bounty.  
  
The Inn was warm, and the inviting smell of a hearty meal was beyond tempting...well, to Montaron at least. As they crossed the upper floor of the Inn, which appeared to be just a sitting room of sorts with a staircase leading upstairs to the living quarters, Montaron rubbed his cacophonous stomach.  
  
"I'm gonna eat the first thing I see. I swear to ye, wizard I could eat a moose." He lamented. Xzar pinpointed a staircase at the other end of the room that lead to the lower level and hurried towards it eagerly.  
  
"I want a bath." He decided firmly as he and his associate reached the stairs and clomped down. The lower level of the Sea's Bounty was alot busier than the upper level; the bar was there and about twenty tables cluttered the wooden floor in a way that made it nearly impossible to navigate around without bumping your elbow on someone's head. There was music playing, but no instruments to follow it back to. Near the bar, with his arm resting on the counter, stood an Amnish soldier; it was unclear if the man was on patrol or if he was merely having a good time.  
  
"Ye can wash later, yer eating now." Montaron ordered and shoved his partner into the maze of tables. Xzar weaved through the mess like a snake, peering speculatively at the people in the room.  
  
"But I'm dirty!" He protested as he set his sights on an empty table ten feet from him, "I'm dirty! Like him!" He pointed to a burly, dangerous-looking dwarf seated at a table to his right. Having heard the comment, the dwarf scowled up at him and made to get up, but Montaron quickly turned a sneer down at him and roughly shoved Xzar onward. The dwarf grunted and sat back down, returning to his drink. When Montaron reached the empty table up ahead, Xzar was already seated with his chin resting on his forearms on the table. He walked around behind the wizard and slapped him on the back of the head.  
  
"Brain-dead fool," He grumbled and found himself a seat opposite Xzar, "Next time ye attract negative attention to yerself, I'm gonna stand and watch ye get beaten to a bloody pulp. Is that clear?" He threatened. Judging by the look on Xzar's face, the wizard was most likely not even listening. With a heavy sigh, he turned in his chair and started to look for a serving wench, "Shall we find this Ployer man tonight?" He asked his partner and flagged down a shortish woman with a silver tray. Xzar straightened up in his chair.  
  
"If you so wish it, Monty, then you are most welcome to do so." He replied, omitting himself in the equation. Montaron whirled around and raised an eyebrow. Xzar put a hand to his forehead.  
  
"I'll be much more agreeable with rest." He snapped, "And a bath." The waitress came to a halt by the table then and smiled down at the pair.  
  
"What'll it be, boys?" She asked perkily.  
  
"Something big." Montaron replied at once, "And some ale." The waitress gave him a quick nod and turned to Xzar expectantly. The wizard ignored her and stared up at the ceiling. Montaron gestured to the waitress.  
  
"Get him some stew or something like that." He growled irritably. The waitress nodded perfunctorily again, told them it wouldn't be long, and headed off in the direction of a table not too far off. When she had gone, Montaron slammed his fist down on the small wooden table; some patrons looked around at the commotion, but Montaron got the reaction he wanted from Xzar. The wizard's gaze left the ceiling and returned to him.  
  
"What?" He asked wide-eyed, innocently. Montaron resisted the sudden urge to jump over the table and throttle the man.  
  
"Yer a horse's arse, wizard." He stated plainly, holding the other man's gaze; on the table before him, his hands curled into fists. Xzar frowned and dropped his chin back onto his arms, slumping down on the table like before.  
  
"Oh, pardon me mister Sunshine!" He replied sarcastically, then he frowned and gestured with one hand, "And I'm not hungry, Monty. Is that so hard to understand? Would you like me to draw you a picture?" He pressed. Montaron stared back at him.  
  
"Horse's. Arse." He repeated pointedly, mouthing the words nice and clear. Xzar drew up in his seat and pointed an accusating finger at him.  
  
"You are so agrravating!" He growled angrily then crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow qurikily, "'Tis disturbing to my demeanor!" His voice raised at this and he took on the most haughty, high- and-mighty expression Montaron had ever seen. There was a pause, then Montaron chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"Yer so daft..." He said with great amusement and disbelief, "...oh my god yer so daft..." He shook his head again and allowed himself a quick, harsh laugh. Xzar was indignant.  
  
"It's not funny, Monty." The wizard replied tightly. He would have said more, but the serving wench came back with a decked silver platter. She grinned.  
  
"Great night to be havin' a good time, it is!" She said cheerily upon seeing Montaron's amused expression, "If you boys want anythin' else, jus' lemme know alright?" She added as she unloaded her tray onto their table. Xzar nodded to her and she left; he redirected his gaze to the plate in front of his partner. In it lay a terribly large piece of meat that could very well have been a stray dog from an alleyway nearby; it was steaming and smelled of honey and brown sugar.  
  
"That's almost as big as you." He commented, blinking idly at the dish. Montaron pulled a wide dagger from the vest beneath his armor and began to cut a chunk off the long-dead animal.  
  
"Shut up." He grumbled absently and shoved the piece of meat into his mouth. With his fingers and dagger, he ate ravenously. Xzar tore his eyes from the disgustingly-mesmerizing sight and peered down at his own meal. The iron bowl was filled to the brim with a thick, chunky, brown goop; mind you, it smelled good.  
  
They ate without speaking much, and when the serving wench returned for their gold, they sent her to the bar and told her they'd pay the Innkeeper for some rooms at the same time as for the meal. On the way to the bar, Xzar suddenly decided to be a little clumsy and bumped into quite a few people; whilst he excused himself profusely, Montaron slipped around opposite him and worked his magic on the good patrons' pockets. By the time the pair got to the bar, they had more than enough gold to pay for their meal, and for the two rooms they rented for the night.  
  
***  
  
Morning came quickly for Montaron. Shortly after daybreak, he was startled awake by Xzar, who burst into his room yelling something about a weapon. The halfling sat blot upright in alarm, patting himself in search of a dagger, then dropped his hands heavily as soon as he realized he wasn't being attacked...just annoyed. He let himself fall back against his pillow and sighed heavily. Xzar's face popped up above him. By the looks of it, the wizard had been awake for a very, very long time.  
  
"Monty! I had a dream last night in which I saw that curr Edwin Odessieron at the bar downstairs and I was so angry so I attacked him with my dagger and we fought and he finally stabbed me with his staff -- but it wasn't a staff, Monty, it was a spear-staff with a blade and all!" He paused and caught his breath, his eyes sparkling, then he reached down in a flash and grabbed Montaron's shirt; he spoke in a hushed whisper, "I want a staff like that, Monty!" He hissed, then released the halfing from his grip and made a dismissive gesture with his hand, "And you were there too...you were wearing a funny hat." He added off-handedly. Montaron stared up at him, frowned deeply, then moaned and covered his face with his pillow.  
  
"It's called knocking first, wizard." He grumbled under the pillow, "I can't hear ye." Xzar blinked and looked over at the door, which was still wide open. With a small 'hmph', he started towards it; half way there, Montaron's pillow hit the back of his head.  
  
"It was a joke, ye dolt!" The halfling cried from his bed, "Now what's this about a spear?" He asked and heaved himself out of bed with a heavy sigh. Xzar smiled contentedly and made his way over to the bed.  
  
"'Tis the first time I have a fear of such." He explained, plopping down onto the edge of the bed and frowning, "I...well I don't know, Monty. I just don't feel safe enough on this particular mission." Montaron, who'd been putting on his armor, stopped a moment an furrowed his brow; the wizard's comment had somewhat offended him. As if Xzar knew this, he shook his head and rested his hands on his knees.  
  
"I don't mean to insult you or anything of the sort, Monty, so don't quip at me." He added quickly, staring at the door, "I'm only saying that I have an ill feeling about the times to come. And I wish to be ready." Montaron ajusted the buckles on his arm bracers with sharp motions.  
  
"All that from a stupid dream about hurting Edwin?" He retorted suspiciously, not daring to add the bit about him in a funny hat, as that would surely set the wizard off, "Yer not gettin' cold feet, are ye? We haven't even started yet for god's sake!" He finished up with his bracers and snatched his cloak from the rickety chair near his nightstand. Xzar yawned and layed back.  
  
"No!" He snapped, reaching back for another pillow and sliding it under his head, "Whatever would make you think that I am yellow?" He closed his eyes and folded his hands over his chest. Montaron, ready now, walked up to Xzar and kicked his foot.  
  
"Let's go. Ployer awaits." He said. Xzar didn't budge.  
  
"Off you go then, Monty. Wake me when you find out what Ployer wants." He drawled lazily, then yelped as he was grabbed by the arms and yanked back up to a semi-standing position, then shoved towards the open door. Montaron followed close behind.  
  
"Ye woke me up, ye suffer." The halfling declared with cruel satisfaction. He shut the door behind him and followed after the sweeping emerald cloak that strode quickly down the hallway, its wearer mumbling disjointedly. 


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2  
  
It was cold outside. The wind had picked up as the morning wore on, and being near the sea didn't help either. Never-the-less, the Docks bustled with people; shops down near the water were all open, sailors and cargo men carried crates and barrels back and forth, and between it all Amnish guards patrolled the grounds like big mobile tin cans. Xzar's eyes flicked back to these soldiers spasmodically as he and Montaron made their way down to the shops near the shore. The life of a Zhent was one of constant paranoia.  
  
"Were those men there last night?" He asked his companion, pulling his cloak around his shoulders after fighting the wind for it. Montaron shrugged.  
  
"Who cares. Let's just do what we have to do and if one of them gives us trouble, we just slit his throat. Lickety split." The halfling replied quaintly, eyes focused on an armory shop a few feet below them. The wind made it difficult to descend the city's sloping staircase, and he found he had to fight to keep his balance. When a suddenly strong gust of wind hit him head-on, he teetered back and nearly fell over. Xzar's hand grasped his shoulder painfully and held him up.  
  
"Well now that was amusing!" The tall wizard piped and chuckled, "I wonder if you'll fly off like a kite if the wind picks up enough..." He mused. Montaron grunted and hurried forward, pounding down the steps as fast as he could until he reached level ground and stopped.  
  
"Shut yer mouth lest ye want me to break yer legs." He called up at Xzar as the other man calmly made his way down the steps and to the ground. He had agreed to go to the bazaar and find the wizard a decent quarterstaff -- something he'd never before owned or even held in his hands -- that could be then magically modified into whatever weapon suited his fancy. For all the time they'd been working together, the only weapon Montaron had ever seen Xzar use other than his magic was a dagger; a long, wicked-edged thing that the addled man wielded like a broadsword when things got rough. Today, however, the wizard looked not in the least dangerous -- he looked like a kid in a candy store.  
  
"Couldn't we just take apart a table from the Inn and use one of the legs?" Montaron commented, beginning to wish he hadn't agreed to the small bit of shopping. There was a small cry of delight from his side, and then Xzar hurried off towards the nearest shop; it was the armory. Montaron frowned tempestuously, "So the fool's attracted to shiny things too..." He grunted and went off after his partner. While Xzar examined the shopkeep's goods, the halfling signalled for the vendor's attention.  
  
"Excuse me, sir, but perhaps ye could give me a bit of information." He asked the merchant, who was at least three times his size and wearing some hide armor that made him resemble an ogre. The immense man cracked a wide smile.  
  
"Sure thing, little man!" He replied good-naturedly, "What do you need?" Montaron looked up at the man and squinted his eyes from the bright sunlight that somehow seemed to pierce the thick bed of cloud hanging above.  
  
"My friend..." He cast a quick glance over at Xzar, who was now talking to himself and fondling a pair of dark wood staves, "...and I are looking for a man by the name of Ployer; we have some items to deliver to him, and we were referred here." He asked. The shopkeep's grin widened at this and he leaned heavily on a display of scimitars.  
  
"As if you're actually trying to find Baron Ployer!" He exclaimed and threw his thumb over his shoulder, "His house is just over there, right of the tavern; just go up a bit. You can't miss it, it's got the only damn garden around smack dab in the middle of the front yard." He shook his head, "That Ployer's got more money than everyone in this place put together...including the tavern! I tell you...good man he is, though. His daughter goes to school with my little girl!" He frowned thoughtfully, "Funny though, I ain't never seen his wife." He shrugged and motioned behind him again, "He lives up by the tavern." He resumed matter-of- factly, then peered down at Monatron, "You ain't from around here, are you?" Montaron opened his mouth to answer, suddenly snapping out of the bored daze he'd been in since the shopkeep began babbling Ployer's life story, but Xzar came up beside him and smiled.  
  
"No, we're from the Umar Hills." He replied glibly, getting an incredulous stare from Montaron; he held up an ebon staff, "I'll take this." He payed the nodding merchant and headed back towards the city stairs.  
  
"Tell the Baron that Marcus says hello!" The shopkeep called after the pair as they moved away. Montaron held up his hand to signal that he had heard, then looked up at Xzar.  
  
"Umar Hills, wizard?" He grunted, then made a face, "What in the nine Hells are the Umar Hills? If you made that up..." He started and Xzar sighed.  
  
"It exists! Did you not see the man nod when I said it?" The wizard said, "By the Gods, Monty. Have some faith." Montaron laughed a cold, fake laugh.  
  
"I'll have to be in some bloody apocalyptic predicament before I start putting my faith in a fruitcake like you!" He growled, "So what and where are these Umar Hills of yours?" He came to a halt at the top of the stairs and Xzar blinked.  
  
"I went there this summer to get some mimic blood." The wizard replied, "It's outside the city gates...oh, I'd guess about a day's ride from here. There's a small village at the foot of the hills -- it's much too close to the woods for my liking." He wrinkled his nose, "But it's in those very woods that I fought the mimic!" He dashed out in front of Montaron and made a box shape with his hands, "You know, Monty, mimics take the shape of chests or boxes and they attack when folks make to open or unlock them!" He began excitedly, "So you can imagine how utterly ridiculous this 'chest' looked sitting in the bush...I mean, you'd think the stupid creature would at least try to find a cave or something that would even remotely give folks the idea that this 'chest' was actually some hidden treasure, but not this time..." He bent and pretended to try to unlock an imaginary chest, "...I tried to unlock the thing, of course...because you never know, I could have been wasting my time...and sure as all Hell it polymorphed and leaped for my throat!" He jumped up and clutched his throat. Montaron looked idly around to see if anyone was watching.  
  
"The beast was strong and I'm positive it cut me and I panicked and wrestled it off of me and threw it to the ground!" The wizard went on, continuing his little play, "I threw my dagger at it and pinned it to the ground by its foreleg and while it screeched at me I laughed and cast magic missile on it's pitiful trapped self. At last I bested the monster." He snapped up his new quarterstaff and held it out before him defensively, then sneered and narrowed his eyes, "Oh yes, Monty..." He hissed, staring forward determinedly, "...I am the master of combat." He made a few cutting motions with the staff then snapped it back into a defensive position. Montaron looked over his shoulder again and then back at Xzar. The wizard looked like the bastardized statue of a paladin of Lathander, with his hair whipping in the wind along with his cloak and robes...and that absolutely ridiculous wistful expression on his face. Montaron cleared his throat.  
  
"That's nice." He said plainly, "But aren't mimics tiny little creatures? Ye could step on them and put 'em out of their misery." Xzar's shoulders slumped and he lowered his staff.  
  
"Well if you put it that way..." He snipped petulantly and whirled around, "So Ployer lives right up here, hmmm?" He changed the subject, striding off towards the Sea's Bounty. Montaron hurried along.  
  
"Aye. And he's a Baron too..." Montaron smirked, "...maybe we should take a look around the house before we see him!" He chuckled. They made their way past the tavern and pinpointed a relatively large house with a colorful, healthy flower garden-formation in the front yard. Someone could be seen crouching beside a bunch of tall, fountain-like leaves. As they walked along the edge of the road facing the house, the person busying away beside the leaves popped up and looked in their direction. It was a young girl of about eight or nine.  
  
"Your odour startled her." Xzar whispered to Montaron and snickered nastily as the two of them left the roadway and started along the neat stepping-stone pathway that lead to the front door of Ployer's house. It took all of the willpower Montaron possessed not to lash out and hit his partner; instead, he warily eyed the young girl, who was coming their way. She halted before them and examined them curiously.  
  
"Are you here to see my father?" She asked, speaking to Montaron first (seeing as she was nearly eye-level with him). A few feet above, Xzar clapped a hand to his mouth and bit his lower lip, watching the scene with great amusement. Montaron gave a curt nod.  
  
"If yer father's name be Ployer, then yes we are." He replied, "Is he in this morning?" He was making a tremendous effort not to tell the child to move so he could pass by. The girl nodded, her eyes eating Monty up.  
  
"Yes he is!" She piped, smiling now, "I'll take you to him!" With that, she snatched up Montaron's hand and pulled him towards the house. Xzar cackled and followed after them. As they reached the door, the girl stopped and grinned over at Montaron.  
  
"You're a halfling, aren't you?" She asked excitedly. Montaron rolled his eyes and prayed to all the gods for the brat to be quiet; he had the ill feeling that Xzar would never let him live this little episode down, and the more the girl talked, the worse his situation got.  
  
"Yer a bright one." He snapped with venomous sarcasm, but to his dismay, the sarcasm didn't sink in with the girl the way it did with Xzar. The girl clasped her hands and laughed.  
  
"Oh I knew you were!" She squealed, "I've never seen a halfling before, but my dad said there were some in the neighbourhood." She reached for the doorknob at last, "My name's Atma, what's yours?" She asked brightly, pulling open the door. Montaron pushed past the child and hurried inside.  
  
"Montaron. Now go get yer father, quick. I haven't got all day." He grumbled impatiently as Xzar stepped inside and shut the door at their back. The girl, Atma, furrowed her brow at Montaron's tone, then nodded and hurried off into the house. When she was gone, Montaron held up his hand.  
  
"Don't even try, wizard." He warned, "This is not a good time." There was a chuckle from behind him followed by a rather accurate imitation of Atma asking him what his name was. Before violence broke out, the girl returned with a man.  
  
"See, look! I told you! It's a halfling!" She declared triumphantly, "And his name is Montaron. I don't know what the other man's name is though." She frowned. The man at her side, her father, nodded quickly.  
  
"Yes yes, alright." He agreed with a sigh, "Now go busy yourself elsewhere, Atma. Daddy has business with these men." He waved his daughter off and she traipsied back towards the door. As she crossed Montaron, she smiled.  
  
"See you later, Montaron!" She cooed and hurried out the door. Montaron peered over at Xzar; the wizard mouthed the girl's words, batted his eyelashes and flicked his hair. The halfling gritted his teeth. Across the room, Ployer cleared his throat.  
  
"I assume Edwin sent you." He frowned at the pair, "If you two are quite done making fun of my daughter, then perhaps we can get down to business." He raised an eyebrow and motioned for the two to follow him. He lead them a short ways through the house and into a small study of sorts; once they were inside, he promptly shut the door and signalled for everyone to have a seat. Xzar and Ployer sat in overstuffed chairs and Montaron remained standing.  
  
"Mayhap we could get this over with quickly, Ployer." The halfling said grumpily, still sour about the earlier greeting, "My blade be thirsting for blood. Now who need ye dead?" At this Ployer made a face.  
  
"Not dead exactly." The Baron replied then leaned forward, "I just need this person delivered to me. Her name is Jaheira; she's a druid and a Harper." He explained. Xzar jumped in his seat.  
  
"A Harper?!" He cried in alarm; this mission was just getting more and more impossible by the day. Ployer frowned and gestured for him to be quiet.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, but your organization owes me big and I need this job done post haste!" Ployer growled, "There's a gaudy, orange establishment by the bazaar that serves as a secret hideout for a group of Harpers. No one is supposed to know what that building really houses, but I do...and now so do you. The druid Jaheira is somewhere inside the Harper Hold, hiding from me, and I want her brought to me." He frowned, "They know I am aware of their base in the Docks and they're getting ready to pack their bags and leave because of it...well, that and the fact that there is a Cowled Wizard in the area that has threatened to report their presence here to the Government. They are also aware of what I am after and they're keeping their eyes and ears open in case I make an attempt at taking it. I have little time to make my move; any day now the Harpers could leave town and then it would be months before I could find them again." Xzar idly rolled the staff laying on his lap.  
  
"That's all good and well, my friend, but how do you propose we gain admission into the pansy-brigade's nest?" The wizard asked, giving Ployer an even stare. Ployer leaned back in his chair and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know and I don't care." He replied pointedly, "Just do it fast." Montaron, who's eyes spasmodically flicked around the room's expensive furnishings from time to time, found Ployer's gaze.  
  
"So if we help ye, what's in it for us? This ain't free, you know; we aren't a church group." He demanded shortly. Ployer blinked.  
  
"Did Edwin not tell you that I would help you as a reward?" He asked primly, "Do what I ask of you and I will grant you an audience with a man that will become your greatest ally while you are on this rescue mission of yours." He smiled. Xzar nodded.  
  
"What does this Jaheira woman look like?" The wizard asked curiously, imagining he and his partner busting into the Harper Hold, grabbing the first woman they see, and running out of there like mad. Ployer's answer was quick.  
  
"She's a half-elf. Long hair...the color of yours." He pointed to Xzar's toffee-colored locks, "Grey eyes, average height. She's got an accent. Pretty girl." He smirked then got up, "I bid you good luck." He added. Xzar rose from his seat and Montaron started for the door. Ployer saw them out and back through the house, then paused by the front door.  
  
"I will be waiting." The Baron said with a firm stare before letting the pair leave. When they were outside, Xzar shook his head.  
  
"Well really, a Harper!" He exclaimed with great irritation, then set off down the stepping-stone pathway in a huff, "None are so annoying as those insufferable Harpers!" He mumbled darkly. Montaron went after him, then halted abruptly when Atma jumped into his path. The girl was grinning.  
  
"Hi Montaron!" She piped. Montaron swerved around her.  
  
"Goodbye, Atma." He grumbled and quickened his pace, praying the girl wouldn't follow. To his delight, she didn't; instead, she called out to him when he had reached the roadway ahead.  
  
"It was nice meeting you!" She called, waving enthusiastically, "Come by and visit again!" Montaron ignored her and caught up with Xzar a few steps ahead, his face a mask of utter distaste and annoyance. Xzar turned a grin down at him.  
  
"I think she likes you." He commented in a strangled voice, biting his lip and trying his best not to burst into hysterics. He started to go into another imitation of Atma then cried out when he was quite abruptly shoved to the ground. He looked up to find Monatron crouched over him, teeth clenched and fist reared back to strike. He swallowed hard.  
  
"Oh wait a minute now, Monty!" He pleaded, raising his hands in defense. He yelped as Montaron's fist shot down...and landed inches from his face. The wizard let out a heavy breath and Montaron sneered at him then rapidly got to his feet. Xzar blinked, still somewhat stunned, then pulled himself to his feet with the help of his staff. He glared at Montaron and the other man pointed at him accusatingly.  
  
"Yer wit be as sharp as my blade, wizard." The halfling snapped, "Keep flappin' that smart mouth o' yers and I'll cut ye a new one while yer sleeping." He threatened with quick slashing motion across his throat. Without another word, he turned on his heels and stormed off back in the direction of the tavern. Xzar gritted his teeth and heaved his staff at Montaron's retreating back.  
  
"You are a royal pain, Monty!" He cried shrilly, "And don't threaten me!" Ahead, the staff clattered to the ground a few feet short of Montaron. The halfling cackled and didn't even turn around to speak.  
  
"Ye missed, ye daft wizard!" The thief cried. Xzar literally shook with anger, his fists curled up at his sides; he let out a frustrated yell, startling a man who walked past him, and ran for his staff. He snatched it up off the ground as he zipped by and continued on until he caught up with his partner. Falling into stride alongside the halfling, he jabbed the but of his staff into the other man's ribs.  
  
"Relax!" He hissed, "There's no use walking so fast when there's nowhere to go!" Montaron gripped his side and frowned up at Xzar.  
  
"Well ye may not have cleaned out yer ears during yer bath last night, but I distinctly heard Ployer say that we have to visit the Harper Hold." He replied sharply then made a mocking, dainty gesture with his hand, "And that, my thick friend, is where I'm going." Xzar raised and eyebrow.  
  
"I fail to grasp the sense in that, Monty." He droned as they neared the top of the left-hand city staircase, "What would you have us do when we get there, hmm? Knock on the door and ask to speak to Jaheira?" Montaron paused.  
  
"Yes. That's exactly what I want us to do." He answered seriously, to Xzar's horror, "Just shut up and let me do that talking for once." He started down the stairs. Xzar, a look of terrible apprehension on his face, followed closely behind.  
  
"The humour in that escapes me, Monty." He wheezed uncomfortably. Montaron snorted.  
  
"It wasn't a joke, wizard." He shot back. Xzar's silence was worth a thousand words.  
  
When they reached the garish orange building that Ployer had described earlier on, they resisted the urge to look around paranoidly to see if anyone was watching or following them. They stood before the door for a bit, Montaron gathering his thoughts and Xzar looking tremendously uncomfortable. Montaron looked over at his partner and gave him a dark glare.  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, wizard." He growled over at him, unimpressed by his shifty demeanor, "Can ye at least try to look like ye know what we're doing?" He shrugged, "Smile or something." Xzar smiled a wide, fake smile -- he was frightening at best, "Nevermind." Montaron said slowly and turned to face the door. He raised his hand and knocked; behind him, Xzar sighed. A few moments later, a man opened the door.  
  
"Yes?" He asked curiously; he was dressed in peasant clothes. His eyes flicked from Xzar to Montaron; queerly, the eagle-eyed way with which he examined the two betrayed the ordinary garb he wore. This man was most obviously no simple peasant. Montaron forced a small smile.  
  
"Good day to ye." He replied with a slight incline of his head, "This is the Harper Hold, I presume?" He asked uncertainly. He could almost feel Xzar's horror. The peasant's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.  
  
"W-what?" He snapped in a hushed whisper, "Of course not!" He frowned deeply. Montaron put on a confused expression.  
  
"Then why are ye whispering?" He retorted cleverly, whispering as well. The peasant looked over his shoulder quickly and glowered at the two men before him.  
  
"How do you know what this place is, and what do you want?" He demanded. Montaron blinked.  
  
"My friend and I have been researching yer group for a good while now." He said lightly, "We're interested in joining yer ranks. Is that even possible?" He asked innocently. The peasant exhaled loudly.  
  
"Not as such, no. It's...it's really not a good time right now." He replied hastily. The way he danced from foot to foot indicated his desire to end the conversation as quickly as humanly possible. Unfortunately for him, Montaron would not let that happen just yet.  
  
"Really? Well that's too bad." The halfling said, downcast, "Mayhap we could just look around a bit? We came all the way from the Umar Hills, man...that's quite a ways to go to just be turned down like this." He added with a frown. His ploy worked, for the goody-goody Harper-peasant looked conflicted now.  
  
"Like I said...I'm very sorry, sirs, but this is really not a good time." The man at the door said apologetically. When Montaron took a bit too long to respond, Xzar chimed in.  
  
"May I ask why this is not a good time?" The wizard inquired curiously, "Would it perchance be because of a certain Cowled Wizard that knows you are here?" The peasant raised an eyebrow, then eyed him thoughtfully and took a breath.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He managed and started to close the door, but Montaron's hand shot out and held it open.  
  
"We could silence the man for ye if ye wish." The halfling offered with a smile that was less than benevolent. The moment the man at the door halted, Xzar backed up the offer.  
  
"As a sign of good faith, of course. Something for your group to remember us by." The lithe wizard added, leaning to the side to catch a better glimpse of the pessant; he smiled, "What say you? We silence this wizard for you and you let us have a little peek inside, hmm?" The man at the door considered this for a long moment before answering.  
  
"Be back here before sundown or our deal is off. The wizard's name is Rayic Gethras and he lives right next door. If his gate is open, then he is home...and today his gate is open." He declared. Xzar nodded.  
  
"A fair trade." He agreed and offered a devious smile. The peasant shut the door with a barely audible click. With that, Xzar turned to face Montaron.  
  
"I spoke. I couldn't help myself." He said apologetically and gave the halfling a sheepish smile, "You were about to screw up, anyway." He added. Montaron frowned.  
  
"No I wasn't." He quipped at once, "I was trying to look disappointed ye dolt!" He scolded the taller man. Xzar blinked and flushed.  
  
"Oh." He peeped. Montaron shrugged and strode past him.  
  
"Dah well, wizard. Ye read my mind anyway." He admitted off- handedly. Xzar smiled and followed after him.  
  
"Oh goody good good!" He piped cheerily, then turning to Montaron, "So...do we wait for nightfall to go wizard hunting?" He asked in the same tone he'd use to ask if it was alright if he had a bit to eat before dinner. Montaron snorted.  
  
"No. I'm in the mood for blood now." He answered decidedly, "I'll be in the mood for sleep tonight." He strode determinedly up to the gates of Gethras' house, Xzar close behind. This wasn't going to be very complicated. The halfling walked to the door and knocked, his free hand grasping the dagger beneath his vest. There was a pause, and then a sallow- skinned man opened the door.  
  
"What is it?" He asked suspiciously, holding the door. Xzar smiled.  
  
"Your name isn't Rayic Gethras, is it?" The wizard asked brightly. The sallow thing frowned.  
  
"Yes, wha--" The man began but cried out as Montaron's dagger buried itself in his shoulder. Montaron swore at the miss and then his surprised cry mingled with Xzar's as Gethras' contingency spell went off, a bright flash of light exploding out of nowehere and rendering both of them blind for a short period of time. When they regained sight, Gethras was gone...and Montaron was ripping mad.  
  
"Upstairs!" The halfling roared and bolted towards the staircase at the other end of the room. Xzar slammed the front door shut and ran after his partner. Once on the second floor, they were faced with not one, but two foes: Gethras, who was chanting frantically at the back of room, and an orc-size clay golem. The golem charged Montaron, who was the first up the stairs; with a gleeful shout, the halfling met the creature head-on and fell upon it like a rabid wolf.  
  
Second up the stairs, Xzar's gaze went from the golem to the wizard at the back of the room. He grinned wickedly, "You my friend, are so dead." He purred and launched into an incantation. Gethras was ready well before Xzar, though, and threw out his hands, fingers splayed; a volley of magic missiles rocketed unerringly towards Xzar, but the wizard didn't flinch. The missiles halted about an inch in front of Xzar, then turned back in Gethras' direction...only to be dispelled. Noticing this, Xzar paused in his current incantation and began to chant another; Gethras was Sanctuaried, which meant that no offensive spells could be targeted at him until his protection was removed. He had just about completed the chant when he was thrown to the side by a huge clay arm. Montaron's voice sounded from where he had been standing.  
  
"I told ye to move, wizard!" The halfling cried angrily and danced away from the golem's swerving fist; he spun around to the back of the creature and his sword bit into its chalky hip. A large chunk of clay dropped to the ground with a dull thud. The golem roared and turned around, swinging down with its massive fist and nearly connecting with Montaron's head as the halfling dipped down and propelled himself between its legs, coming up in front of it again. Another chunk of clay hit the ground as Montaron's sword hacked in. It was, he remarked, uncannily like chopping wood.  
  
There was a shout of triumph from Xzar off to the side, and then Montaron was quite suddenly unable to move. He watched in horror, though, as the golem in front of him raised both fists to strike. Just as he resigned himself to death and admitted that he perhaps should have waited until dark to attack Gethras, a group of four flaming arrows veered around the golem's sides and hit fiercely in succession; the creature exploded into chalky bits as the last arrow hit home. When the mess cleared, Montaron's eyes fell upon Xzar; the wizard was staring, wide-eyed, at the pile of dust a few feet in front him. The mage looked at Montaron, frowned, then looked to Gethras in alarm as the man's voice rose up again from the back of the room. His eyes darted from Gethras to Montaron and back again, his chest heaving; he didn't wether to unparalyze his partner or attack Gethras. Montaron wished he could scream.  
  
As if Xzar had read his partern's thoughts, he barked a few words in an ill-known language and shot his arm out, poiting a finger at Gethras. From his position, Montaron had to look out of the corner of his eye to see what was going on; he saw Gethras' hands fly up, but instead of casting a spell, he covered his face with them and let out a blood-curdling scream. Blisters, burns and large, infectious pustules sprouted all over the man's flesh, forming on the skin like foam on boiling water. Montaron chuckled internally; Xzar was not only a wizard, but a necromancer...and the contagion spell was one of his favorites.  
  
The nasty little trick bought Xzar the time he needed to dispel Montaron's paralyzation. Free to move now, Montaron tore after Gethras, sword first. His blade, though, primly bounced off the diseased wizard as if the man had flesh like that of a mustard jelly.  
  
"Do something about that, ye blasted fool!" He yelled at Xzar as Gethras attempted to ignore his festering wounds and began to chant again. Xzar's voice rose over Gethras', but the Cowled Wizard's song was a shorter one; a bolt of crackling, bright blue lightning shot out from Gethras' position and hammered into Montaron, searing his armor and sending him reeling. Xzar's spell went off and Gethras swore, ripping a scroll from the folds of his robes and franctically trying to unroll it with trembling, ravaged hands. Seeing this is as more than a satisfactory opening for some hands-on finishing work, Xzar produced a kris-dagger from his sleeve and charged Gethras.  
  
"I have become death, destroyer of worlds!" The green-robed necromancer cried at the top of his lungs, his dagger raised high. As he came within inches of Gethras, the elder wizard dropped his scroll and muttered a few words then disappeared...only to reappear a good ten feet behind the raving Xzar. Gethras watched Xzar whirl around in rage and smiled, then he cried out in alarm and made a rather disgusting choking sound as Montaron's blade came around from behind and slit his gut neatly. Montaron let the lifeless body drop to the ground and grinned, amdiring his work.  
  
"Ye should've ran out the front door when ye had the chance, ye stupid maggot." He suggested to the corpse, shaking his head. Across the room, Xzar lowered his dagger and uttered a small cheer.  
  
"Ha ha there, Monty! Nice fight, eh chum?" He called brightly, if not a little short of breath. Montaron turned his grin up at him.  
  
"Indeed, wizard!" He agreed, "A real hoot." He bent and examined Gethras' corpse as he wiped his blade off on the man's robes, "Ye might want to take a peek at this idiot. He's got some shiny things ye may want." At this Xzar hurried over, "I'm gonna take a look up here, then I'm gonna see what's downstairs. When yer through playing vulture, meet me by the door." About ten minutes later, Xzar came down the stairs to the first floor holding two rings and a parchment.  
  
"A demon summoning scroll and some protection rings." He explained, holding the items up one by one for Montaron to see, "What did you get?" He asked. The halfling held up a large, leatherbound book.  
  
"A gift for yerself." He answered dismally. Xzar hurried over and shoved the items he'd found into his robes in order to take the tome for Montaron's hands. He flipped through the pages and grinned widely. This was Gethras' personal grimoire.  
  
"This is like some great fantasy!" He squealed with delight, then clutched the book to his chest, "Oh this is a fabulous day, Monty!" Montaron shook his head and began herding Xzar towards the door.  
  
"Yes yes." He urged, nearly shoving the other man out the door, "And it's not over yet." He stepped outside and shut the door at his back, "Back to the Harpers we go." 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3  
  
The Harper Hold was a clever affair. The first floor was that of a regular house, with the furnishings and layout of an ordinary middle-class sitting room; the only thing even remotely odd about it was the long dozen- seated table at the end of the room near the hearth. This was most likely where the Harpers within the compound gathered to eat or lounge. The second floor, on the other hand, was, at the very least, extraordinarily suspicious. The entire floor -- some thirty-foot long, fifteen-foot wide deal -- was cleared, tiled and polished into a great hall. White marble pillars engraved with winding golden tresses lined the length of the room on both sides, and at the head of the room, suspended over a raised dias, hung a large crest depicting what resembled a sun of sorts. Along the left side of the room, length-wise, ran a series of chambers, the doors to which were accessible only by crossing an entryway at the far end of the main hall that lead to a parallel hallway. Beside the raised dias, to the left, a staircase lead up to the third floor...which the Harpers made clear was strictly out of bounds.  
  
"I bet ye all the goodies are upstairs." Montaron whispered to Xzar as the pair slowly made their way onto the dias at the head of the hall and pretended to be very interested in the gargantuan crest over their heads. Xzar seemed about ten times more uncomfortable now than he did back when Montaron had first knocked on the Harpers' door; his eyes darted about incessantly and he kept ajusting his robes as though they suddenly fit him too tightly. The wizard frowned.  
  
"Let's find this Jaheira woman quickly, yes?" He whispered back, "This place is giving me the creeps." He moistened his lips and jumped about five feet when a smiling Harper appeared beside him on the dias. The man laughed at Xzar's reaction.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" He mused. It took a while for Xzar to realize what the man was talking about, but he finally nodded stiffly.  
  
"Exquisite." He agreed and forced a tight smile. His jaw dropped when the Harper clamped a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Just thought I'd thank you two for taking care of Rayic Gethras." The Harper said, "We really appreciate it." He patted Xzar's shoulder and the wizard stared down at the man's hand as though it was on fire. Xzar managed to widen his false smile.  
  
"You are most...welcome, sir." He replied slowly. The Harper nodded and left, leaving him standing there, wide-eyed and gawking. He blinked a few times and shuddered, "Monty, I am going to kill you for bringing me here." He hissed, whirling on the halfling. Montaron chuckled and strode off the dias.  
  
"Quit yer whinin', wizard." He retorted, "I'm not liking this any more'n ye." He paused, noticing something as he walked by his partner, "Where's yer new staff?" He asked, eyeing the wizard thoughtfully. Xzar paused, stared forward a moment, then brought a hand to his head.  
  
"Upstairs in Gethras' house." He moaned, remembering the blow he'd recieved from the clay golem that had sent him flying across the room. Montaron rolled his eyes.  
  
"Damn it, ye daft wizard!" He cried in a raspy half-whisper, "We're gonna have to get it back! That's some nasty evidence ye left behind, fool!" Xzar nodded glumly, angry at himself for having made such a stupid mistake.  
  
"Agreed. We'll head there once we deliver Jaheira to Ployer." He whispered back. Montaron nodded and motioned with a light tilt of his head for the other man to follow him. They kept a slow gait but made their way determinedly to the other end of the hall, where they peeked past the left entryway and curiously stepped into the quiet hallway beyond. As expected, a half dozen doors lined the wall on the right. Xzar urged Montaron away from the doors and bent to whisper in his ear.  
  
"Either Jaheira is here or she's upstairs." He started; his voice was quavering, "My gut tells me she's upstairs, but she may be here just to spite me." He took a breath, "We can't exactly barge into every room one after the other and see if our druid friend is indeed inside, so I'm going to take a chance and use magic to see what's behind these doors." He paused, "And yes, it's quiet." He stepped away from Montaron and put his hand over his mouth then closed his eyes. He began to chant quietly into his hand, his brow furrowed in concentration; finally, he removed his hand from over his mouth and used it along with the other to perform a few intricate gestures over his eyes. Montaron raised his eyes to the heavens and cringed as Xzar's voice rose ever so slightly as the man completed his incantation. Outside in the main hall, the Harpers moved about. Montaron prayed they weren't coming to see what was going on.  
  
The halfling's gaze moved nervously from the torchlit entryway a little further to the left, to Xzar on the right. The wizard's eyes were still closed, but they moved behind the lids. Montaron had seen this spell a few times before and had ever since then wished he could cast it: it was WizardEye, a divination spell that allowed the caster to see past barriers of almost all kinds. It could be detected, of course, so the user had to be careful. This gave Montaron something else to worry about as he watched Xzar work. Without warning, a Harper appeared by the entryway and signalled to Montaron.  
  
"Is everything alright, gentlemen?" The man asked curiously. Startled, Montaron drew back.  
  
"Oh yes!" He called back, smiling now, "My friend is having an awful headache, that's all." He added, throwing his thumb back at Xzar. Behind him, he heard the wizard curse sharply under his breath, his concentration lost. The Harper looked to Xzar, then back at Montaron.  
  
"Alright then. Perhaps your friend should get some fresh air." He suggested before disappearing back into the main hall. Montaron snorted derisively.  
  
"Ye just want us to get out is what ye want!" He grumbled under his breath at the vacant spot where the Harper had stood. He turned to Xzar and sighed, "Pardon me for startling ye, wizard. The Harper felt he had to stick his nose where it didn't belong." He said apologetically. Xzar looked at him and nodded, then stared at the entryway thoughtfully. A short moment later, he grabbed his partner by the shoulder and bent to his ear again.  
  
"I had the time to see what I needed to see." He whispered excitedly, "Jaheira is in the second room from the end of the hallway; she's reading." Montaron frowned.  
  
"Are ye sure it's her, wizard? I don't want to bring Ployer the cleanin' lady, ye know!" He asked worriedly. Xzar sighed and gripped his shoulder so tightly it hurt.  
  
"I'm positive it's her, Monty!" The wizard replied impatiently, "She looks just like Ployer said she does...pretty girl with pointed ears." He paused, "Come to think of it, she looks...she looks alot like your girlfriend Atma." He remarked then quickly went on with his thoughts as Montaron began to tense up, "But anyhow, onto the important bit. The Harper that so rudely interrupted me in my work gave me an idea. I'm going to walk out of here and return downstairs as though I agreed to get fresh air as he suggested. Once there, I'm going to render myself invisible and come back here." He paused to think, "Wait for me right here and you'll know I'm back when I step on your foot." Montaron sighed and he went on, "Once I'm back, you knock on Jaheira's door -- lightly now, you don't need to make a racket. I will get a silencing spell ready and when she opens the door, I'll set it off on her. You'll subdue the wench as quietly as humanly possible and then I'll cast a second invisibility dweomer on her in order to carry her out of the building. The Harpers will already think I'm gone, so they won't have a second thought about my invisible self carrying my invisible prize out, and all you have to say is goodbye and thank them for their kindness." He took a breath and supressed an excited giggle, "Understand all that, Monty?" He asked at last. Montaron went through it all in his mind before giving the wizard a curt nod.  
  
"Do it fast." The halfling told his partner and the man took off down the hallway and disappeared into the hall beyond. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he could hear Xzar telling a Harper that the whole experience had overwhelmed him and that he was leaving to get some air...he even said thank you, though he choked it. Montaron waited for what seemed like hours before he felt a sharp pain on his toes. He jerked back and clutched his chest, then frowned darkly as he realized that Xzar was finally back. Stealthily, the partially-visible pair moved down the hallway to the second-last door. Montaron paused and rose his hand to knock; beside him, he could just barely make out Xzar's quiet chanting. Thanking the Gods for the power of adrenaline, the halfling knocked gently on the hardwood door; was it just him, he thought ruefully, or had he done something like this not an hour ago?  
  
There was a stirring inside and a woman opened the door. Montaron blinked; she did in fact resemble Atma. As she opened her mouth to speak, Xzar's spell went off and not a peep escaped her throat. Montaron heard the wizard launch into another incantation and he promptly rammed his fist into the taller woman's stomach; it had the effect he was hoping and the druid doubled over, bending down far enough for Montaron to be able to reach the area he needed to. With a deft motion he reached out and squeezed an area at the base of the woman's neck that made her pass out. He proceeded to hold her limp body up while Xzar completed his invisibility spell.  
  
The wizard's voice rose slightly again and it suddenly looked as though Montaron was fighting off the descent of some awfully heavy atmospheric pressure rather than supporting an unconscious Harper. Xzar had just relieved his partner of Jaheira when a female Harper appeared at the door. Montaron whirled around to face her, his mouth an 'o' of surprise. If he wanted to continue breathing, he had to get out of the Harper Hold fast; if Xzar's invisibility spell wore off, they were toast. With the Harper standing at the door, Xzar couldn't get out...invisible or not. Montaron swallowed thickly. Time to lie.  
  
"Hello there," He croaked, "Lovely living quarters ye've got here. Better than any Inn I've ever been to!" He grinned; in his chest, his heart was beating at a thousand miles an hour. He wondered if Xzar had wet himself yet. The Harper looked around the room and frowned.  
  
"These quarters are not open to the public, I'm afraid." She said suspiciously and raised an eyebrow. Montaron moved to leave, hoping to dislodge the Harper.  
  
"Pardon me! The door was open...I thought I'd have a look. Dreadfully sorry, miss." He babbled and shrugged. To his great relief, the woman stood aside and let him pass, then leaned in and reached for the doorknob in order to close the door. Another wave of terror struck Montaron when he saw this; it was impossible for Xzar to have exited the room yet, and he hoped to all the Gods that the wizard hadn't been walking out the door when the Harper's arm reached for the doorknob. The halfling made a face as the woman's hand closed around the doorknob and pulled the door shut. He had to get the Harper away from the door so that Xzar could get out, lest all his spells wear out and he finds himself in a small room with an unconscious Harper in his arms. Had the situation not been life- threatening, Montaron would have found it most comical.  
  
"If ye'd be so kind as to show me out, I'd be much pleased." He asked of the Harper with a charming smile, "I thank ye for lettin' me have a look see around this place. Real enlightening 'twas." He added. The Harper nodded curtly and showed him off towards the main hall. He kept his ears open for the sound of a door sliding open and when he heard it, he breathed a long sigh of relief. The Harper lead him back downstairs and bid him farewell after once again thanking him for doing away with Gethras. He opened the front door and held it a moment.  
  
"Are ye out?" He asked the empty room.  
  
"Yes." Xzar's voice answered from outside. Gladly, Montaron walked out and shut the door at his back, thanking the gods that that mess was over with. Xzar's voice sounded again, but this time it was a tinge impatient.  
  
"We have to return to Ployer quickly!" The wizard warned. Montaron didn't need to be told twice; he took off at a quick stride in the direction of the city stairs. They hurried across the tavern and up to Ployer's house; as they strode down the stone walkway across the garden, they were thankfully not ambushed by the Baron's daughter. They didn't bother to knock at the door; instead, Montaron whipped it open, stepped inside, and slammed it behind him.  
  
"Home free." He declared pointedly. There was the sound of footsteps rapidly poudning down some stairs, and then Ployer burst into the room with his sword in his hand. The dark-haired man stopped, wide-eyed and chest heaving, and stared at Montaron. The halfling waved idly.  
  
"Good afternoon to ye, Ployer." He bid the man cheerily. Beside him, Xzar's invisibility spell wore off; Jaheira's was still active, however, and it made the mage look as though he had locked his arms in a strange position. Ployer blinked.  
  
"Already?" He asked incredulously; his expression was praise to the Zhent pair by the door. With a satisfied smirk, the Baron sheathed his sword and strode towards Xzar, "And you're certain you have Jaheira, now?" He wondered. When the man was within reach, Xzar gingerly dumped his invisible burden into Ployer's arms. The wizard smiled proudly.  
  
"See for yourself!" He replied and took a step back. He raised his hands and performed a few odd gestures, some gibberish-like words flowing from his mouth. Seconds later, the weight in Ployer's arms became visible. The Baron eagerly looked down. Montaron crossed his fingers. A wide grin crept onto Ployer's face and he let out a cheer.  
  
"Yes!" He cried to the heavens, "At last!" He returned his attention to Xzar and Montaron, "You boys have done well! It is beyond me how you managed to get past the Harpers, but by the Gods...this is excellent. GuildMaster Renal BloodScalp awaits you at the Thieves' Guild." He motioned with his chin, "The building is right near the district exit; the windows are barred and there's usually some ruffians loitering about near the door. Tell Renal I sent you and explain your mission to him; he'll help you out." Xzar and Montaron nodded at this and turned to leave; as Xzar's hand rested on the doorknob, it was violently thrown back when the door burst open, young Atma flying in. Her eyes fell upon Montaron.  
  
"Hi Montaron!" She smiled at him and waved, then looked over at her father and pointed at Jaheira, "Who's that?" She asked curiously. As Xzar and Montaron slipped out the door, they heard Ployer's interesting answer.  
  
"No one you need to know, dear...and obviously no one who needs to know you." The Baron replied, his tone going sour on the last bit, as the front door fell shut. Xzar snapped his fingers.  
  
"My staff!" He cried suddenly, "We must retrieve it!" Montaron nodded.  
  
"Yer right. Let's move." He replied. With that, they hurried through the streets under the darkening sky. The morning clouds had grown thick and inky by mid afternoon; it would rain soon. The wind was still strong, but the crisp, cool air was more than welcome after the stressful last few hours the pair had gone through. It had been a good day so far, however, but if they could get Xzar's staff back, it would be a better day.  
  
When they got to Gethras' house, they took a quick look around to make sure they weren't being watched and hurried inside. Montaron bolted for the stairs and Xzar sprinted after him. When they hit the second floor, they were greeted by the delightful sight of Gethras' body, laying still in the middle of the room, and a large, chalky, white mess near the right-hand wall. Xzar moved towards Gethras' corpse and looked left to where he had been swatted by the golem earlier on; there was no staff.  
  
"Damn!" The wizard swore and whirled around, wildly searching the room. Montaron was stalking about, peering under chairs and low tables in case the item had rolled underneath something. The halfling finished his rounds and looked to his partner.  
  
"Nothing." He resumed with a shrug and a deep frown. Xzar stared worriedly back at him. The staff hadn't just disappeared...it had most likely been taken. Taken by whom exactly was what was worrying the duo. Montaron broke the uneasy silence.  
  
"Whoever made off with it, made off with it real quick-like." He declared, assessing the situation as best he could. They had, after all, assassinated Gethras just under two hours ago. He scratched his dark, spunky hair, "Mayhap our pal Gethras was being watched." He added, grimacing at the implications of the possibility. Xzar twitched.  
  
"Let's hope it's friend, not foe." He replied at last; he took a breath, then threw his hands up, "Well! It certainly won't be the first bounty on my head, now will it?" He offered lightly, though he did not have the heart to back his jest up with a smile. Montaron just stared and Xzar decided he couldn't blame him. With a desolate sigh, he turned and started back down the stairs. Montaron followed drearily.  
  
"That was a Cowled Wizard." The halfling mused as they made their way back to the first floor, "We've never played with anything that high up before." He shook his head, "Gods...please let the staff be in anyone else's hands but the Law's!" He prayed fervently. Xzar whimpered.  
  
"Stop it, Monty!" He pleaded, "You're going to make me cry!" Downcast, he followed Montaron towards and out the front door. When they were outside, he looked up at the dark sky and a fat droptlet of rain fell on his forehead. Montaron started off towards the Sea's Bounty.  
  
"I say we call it a day. I'm starved and I need some ale." The halfling grumbled; he realized that the tavern was probably not the best place to be in their current situation, but it was sure as Hell -- in his opinion -- worth the risk. Quietly, Xzar agreed.  
  
***  
  
That night they were only able to rent one room; the Inn was over- crowded because of a caravan stopping in the district to deliver goods to an overseas shipment outfit. Into the night the Sea's Bounty was kept alive with raucous singing, laughing, shouting, fighting and all sorts of other things. Xzar and Montaron allowed themselves a celebration of their own, though not in honour of a return to shore or a good trek through Amn. They celebrated just for the sake of being alive after the day's events.  
  
Two pitchers of Baalor's Ale, one empty and the other well-engaged, sat in a sticky puddle on a low table in front of the couch. Slouching on the couch was Montaron, no longer able to stand, much less walk; he was laughing, though it really wasn't funny, at Xzar's impression of a nearly deaf man having an argument with a priest of Helm. The wizard went on and on with the jest until he stopped, seemingly having confused himself, and sauntered towards his partner.  
  
"I've always wanted infravision like the elves," The wizard mused, nearly stumbling over the carpet; he raised the goblet in his hand as if it would make a difference if he were to fall, "But it's more than just taking their eyes, you know..." He giggled disjointedly and eyed the ale on the table. Montaron snorted and took a long gulp from his own goblet.  
  
"Yer stupid!" He replied, frowning with great effort. Xzar bent and set his empty goblet down on the small table then held hid head as he straightened back up.  
  
"Ha! Stupid enough to send that..." The wizard paused to think, "...golem..." He thought about that some more then went on, "...to Hell when all you you did was stare at it!" He laughed triumphantly and spun around. Montaron threw his his goblet at him after drinking down the rest of the ale in it.  
  
"I couldn't move, ye moron!" He cried angrily. In front of him, Xzar stopped his twirling and just about collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Did...did you see me scare the...liv...living daylights out of that guy, though?" He said, his voice cracking as he made his way towards the couch and plopped down on it heavily beside Montaron. The halfling shook his head.  
  
"Ye looked stupid." He replied dully, "The man laughed..." He paused and made a pointed gesture as Xzar leaned over and dropped his head on his lap, "...laughed!..." He repeated louder, "...at you." Xzar stared up at Montaron and frowned.  
  
"Do you think the Cowled Wizards are after us?" The wizard asked more quietly. Montaron shrugged.  
  
"Wether they be after us now 'cause of Gethras or later 'cause of the man we're supposed to get out of SpellHold, it really makes no difference." He said stoicly. He bent forward to get some more ale from the table, but Xzar's head was in the way. He frowned down at him.  
  
"Monty?" The wizard asked and blinked. Montaron gave him a dull stare.  
  
"What?" He drawled. Xzar's eyes suddenly held him firmly.  
  
"Kiss me." Xzar's voice had dropped to something so soft it was almost a whisper. Montaron froze and his eyebrows shot up; he stared down at the wizard on his lap and blinked. His eyes flicked about, taking in the man's unruly brown hair, his shining emerald eyes and fine, pale lips. Something stirred inside him and he was suddenly very sober.  
  
"No!" He growled and snapped his hands up as though he'd touched something disgusting, "Get off of me, wizard!" Xzar sighed heavily and got to his feet.  
  
"Alright." He mumbled through a yawn and made his way over to the bed at the other end of the room. He climbed onto it, yawned again, curled up right smack in the middle of the sheets and promptly began to snore.  
  
At the other end of the room, Montaron was still quite frozen. 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4  
  
Montaron did not sleep; instead, he stayed awake and mulled over a fact that he had always suspected but had chosen to ignore. Though he realized it had been the ale talking when Xzar had made his proposition, he knew there was a strong possibility that it came from a stable basis. The more he branched off this basis in his mind, the more his brain whirred. He sighed heavily and looked across the room to where the wizard lay sleeping. Internal crisis or not, he had a meeting today with GuildMaster Renal BloodScalp.  
  
After what had been exactly nine and a half hours of sitting on the couch, Montaron got to his feet and made his way over to the bed. As he peered down at his sleeping friend's face, he was quite suddenly reminded of the look the man had given him the night before when the wizard's head had been cradled in his lap. He chased the thought from his mind and shook Xzar firmly, "Get up, wizard!" He grumbled. The other man frowned and turned his head away, groaning his displeasure.  
  
"Go away, Monty." Xzar managed through a stifled yawn; he shooed him away with a lazy hand gesture, "I'm still sleeping. See?" He went silent and didn't budge. Montaron's eyes narrowed; he bent and jabbed a knuckle in a spot on the wizard's back, right near the spinal cord. It was a particularly responsive nerve and it made Xzar jump.  
  
"Ahh! You win! You win!" The wizard cried and sat up, then hastily scooted off the bed. Standing now, he suddenly didn't feel so good; he giggled disjointedly and grasped his head with one hand, "Woo!" He cooed, "Mayhap today isn't a good day to be running about, hmm?" He rubbed his head and moaned. Montaron shook his head.  
  
"Ye'd've made a poor sailor," He commented dully then whirled around and headed off towards the nightstand to retrieve his weaponsbelt, "Hangover or not we've got people to see today." He snorted, "S'pose I should've thought of that before I let ye tip a glass." Xzar idly watched his partner gather his weapons.  
  
"You look terrible, Montaron." He commented, eyeing the dark circles under the other man's eyes, "Did the Cowled Wizard come knocking last night or what?" He grinned impishly. Montaron turned to look his way and gave him an unimpressed look.  
  
"I'm gonna ignore yer idiocies this morning, wizard, because I realize that yer already disturbed faculties are most likely more disturbed than normal due to the remaining booze in yer blood." He replied caustically and Xzar raised an eyebrow, "Now go feed yerself downstairs and make sure there be enough room in yer head to fit in some spells o' yers. I sure as Hell don't need ye to be slow AND useless if we run into trouble." He looked down to fasten his belt and Xzar uneasily exited the room.  
  
Five minutes later they met downstairs at a table by the bar. The tavern was much less populated than it had been the night before. Montaron dropped into a chair and lolled his head back; his eyes were strained from staying up all night and his eyelids threatened to droop. Across from him, Xzar had a bowl of oatmeal in front of him and his nose was buried in Gethras' spellbook. The wizard sighed.  
  
"What is this, a school book?" He whined, flipping through the tome's pages quickly, "Homework from when the man was still a whelp?!" He promptly shut the thing, slammed it on the table, and annoyedly pushed it aside. He frowned and dropped his head in his hands, over the bowl of steaming oatmeal. Montaron rolled his head back into an upright position.  
  
"What's in the book?" He drawled, quite tired now and beginning to desire some fresh air. Xzar didn't look up.  
  
"Worthless cantrips." He spat venomously. Montaron smirked.  
  
"Figures." He replied cynically then gestured to the food under Xzar's nose, "You gonna eat that or just stare at it?" He asked gruffly. The wizard sighed heavily, grasped his spoon, dug it into the hot goop, stuck a spoonful of it in his mouth and pushed the bowl towards Montaron. Montaron idly held out his hand as Xzar finished with the spoon; the wizard dropped it unceremoniously into the halfling's palm. Xzar raised his head and stared off into space as Montaron dug into the oatmeal.  
  
"Do you get the feeling we're going to be stumbling about aimlessly for a good while before we even catch a glimpse of the completion of this mission?" He asked, imagining a scenario where he and Montaron went all over Amn and the surrounding area, running errands for just about everyone they ran into, and finally, after months of toil, finding out that the Council member they're to pull out of SpellHold died of a heart attack. Montaron paused a second and shrugged.  
  
"Yes." He replied curtly and returned to shovelling oatmeal into his mouth. Xzar scowled darkly.  
  
"Tedious monkey work." He grumbled and indignantly rapped his fingers on the table. There was a long moment of silence as Montaron finished his breakfast, and then the pair rose from the table and stepped to the bar. As Montaron handed the Innkeep some money, Xzar off-handedly threw Gethras' spellbook into the fireplace at the head of the room. Montaron saw this and frowned as Xzar made his way back towards him.  
  
"Ye could have sold that!" He snapped in disbelief. Xzar made an indelicate noise and stalked past his partner towards the door.  
  
"I'm not in the mood." He replied pointedly and pulled the door open; he stalked out, a bright flash of green contrasting the dark wood of the walls. Montaron followed him out. Outside, the sun was up and the wind had died down; sparse puddles flecked the muddy ground as a legacy of the night's rain. Montaron took a deep breath; the salty air was cool and reasonably woke him up. Ahead, by the side of the road, Xzar danced from foot to foot in some shallow puddles. Montaron grimaced at the sight.  
  
"What're ye doin', ye daft wizard!?" He called out to the man. The bottom of his robes now soaked with water and encrusted with mud, Xzar wiped his hands and looked over at his partner.  
  
"Getting positively unpresentable." He replied quaintly; he pointed to the Docks entranceway in the distance, "I know very well that by the time I get up there I'm going to be atrociously filthy, so I figured I would get it over with now." He started off in the direction of the city staircase that lead up to higher ground. Montaron blinked, squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them, then threw his arms up to the heavens in defeat. That over with, he hurried after Xzar.  
  
The ShadowThieves' Guild was a large, shabbily-built building that was plainly uninviting. As Ployer had mentioned, the windows were all barred and the rooms beyond were dark. There was no sound, no smell, no peripheral motion to hint that the building was indeed inhabited. The only thing that marred the perfect frame was the presence of a lightly-armored man hanging by the door; the man appeared to be surveying the streets. He eyed Montaron and Xzar critically when the pair neared him.  
  
"Declare yourselves." He spoke sharply, raising his hand to halt the visitors. Xzar stepped forward.  
  
"I am Xzar, and this is my associate Montaron." He explained, "We're here to speak with Renal BloodScalp; a mister Ployer is our referer." He smiled. The armored man eyed the muddy hem of Xzar's robes and raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Right then." He replied, "Watch your step." He reached back and opened the door to let the Zhent pair inside. They came upon a wide storeroom at the center of which sat a trio of low tables. A half-dozen men milled about, all of them armed and the majority of them hooded. By the middle table stood a blue-cloaked woman with a heavy crossbow slung over her shoulder. She smiled at Xzar and Montaron.  
  
"Greetings, lads!" She called with a sly smirk, "Is there anything I can help the lot of ye with?" Xzar nodded.  
  
"Yes. We wish to speak with Renal BloodScalp." He replied impatiently, looking past the woman at the items layed out on the tables behind her. There was weaponry, armor and jewelery as well as an untidy pile of old parchment and books. However, what caught the wizard's eye was an ebon staff laying beside a shimmering broadsword on the leftmost table. The woman smiled.  
  
"Go through the door behind me and up the first stairs ye see." She instructed pointedly. Xzar thanked her and he and Montaron strode by. As they did so, the woman waved.  
  
"If ye need any gear, lads, just gimme a shout!" She called after them, "Brynn's got the best selection around at the best prices! " The pair ignored this and went into the back room. When they shut the door behind them, Xzar threw his thumb over his shoulder.  
  
"Monty, my staff is out there." He declared, keeping his voice down. Montaron frowned up at him.  
  
"What? Are ye sure? Ye can't be sure, wizard. Could be any staff ye saw, the lights be so dim in here..." The halfling replied quickly. He didn't know wether to get excited or wether to depress himself. If Xzar's staff was indeed on the woman's table, than that meant that the Cowled Wizards hadn't found it after all. But then again, the lights were dim...  
  
The stairs lead to a musty room packed tight with crates and old barrels. A makeshift path was barely-visible through the mess, the crates precariously piled up on the sides in an attmept to clear the floor. The path cut left into an area that was out of sight. As he swerved through, Montaron figured that all this stuff was stolen goods; this was, after all, the docks, and the constant come and go of merchandise was definitely an appealing target for an outfit of thieves.  
  
When they rounded the corner, they fell upon a small group of men gathered in a loose circle around a tall, slender man wearing a dark purple cloak. When Montaron appeared out from behind the crates, the man in purple stepped through the group around him and grinned.  
  
"Ah, there you are at last!" He exclaimed, then laughed, "Though I must admit I was expecting someone a bit...taller?" He chuckled as he eyed Montaron thoughfully. Xzar appeared shortly after and the purple-cloaked man's grin widened tenfold, "Oh there we are! That's the man!" He called and strode up to Xzar; he grasped the wizard's hand and shook it firmly, "Thanks for taking care of the wizard for us, my good friend. That man just about rained on our parade!" He said happily. Xzar's face was a mask of confusion.  
  
"Whatever are you going about?" He asked, taking his hand back from the cloaked stranger. The man in purple laughed again and stepped back.  
  
"There's no need for an act here, man -- you are among friends. Come now, any day now Gethras was bound to bite the dust; you just came along and made it so much more convenient!" He said with a sly wink, "My boys reported your description and found your staff last night in the old fool's house". Xzar smirked.  
  
"Ha!" He exclaimed triumphantly, then swatted the back of Montaron's head, "I told you that was my staff!" The halfling ignored him and frowned at the man in purple.  
  
"What?" He pondered aloud, confused but relieved about the staff, "We were being watched last night?" He asked. The man in purple's eyes glinted.  
  
"Everyone is always being watched." He replied, "That's my job." He winked again, "Pardon my manners, gentlemen; I thought Gethras was what you came here about." He bent into a sweeping bow, "I am Renal BloodScalp, GuildMaster of the ShadowThieves. Now then," He drew himself up and quirked a brow, "if you haven't come to claim a prize for Gethras' murder, then what is it that I can do for you?" Xzar opened his mouth to reply, but Montaron waved his hands to halt the conversation and spoke first.  
  
"First of all, it'd be much appreciated if ye explained about Gethras." The halfling snapped, "We did the wizard over for some blasted Harpers down by the shore...not for the likes of yer guild." He added, turning a scowl up at Renal. The GuildMaster raised a hand heavy with jewelry.  
  
"Friend, those Harpers ARE my guild." He replied lightly, then, seeing the blank look on Montaron's face, he explained furthermore, "Those 'Harpers' aren't really Harpers at all; they're my boys. So, if you and your muddy friend here 'did Gethras over' for those Harpers, then you 'did Gethras over' for me." He blinked and waited for that to settle in before continuing, "So, back to the matter at hand. What do you want from me?" He asked seriously. This time, Xzar got first word.  
  
"Baron Ployer refered us to you." He answered, "You are supposed to be able to offer us some valuable help." He blew some hair from his eyes before narrowing them in irritation. Renal's expression changed to one of confused amusement.  
  
"Ployer?" He echoed; he let out a chuckle and began twisting one of the many twinkling rings on his fingers, "Really? Alright..." he chuckled again, "...whatever you say." Seriously disturbed now, Montaron cut into the conversation again.  
  
"Did Ployer not warn ye we'd be comin' by?" He asked, raising his voice; he wondered briefly if this confusing situation was punishment from the Gods for having stayed up all night, "He's the one we messed with the Harp--" He paused and corrected himself, "--with yer boys for! Asked us to fetch some wench by the name o' Jaheira, he did! Is she one of yers too?" Renal's slate gray eyes widened at this.  
  
"No no..." He replied quickly, shaking his head, "That one is a real Harper." He went thoughtful and allowed himself a small smile, "It's flattering to see that my little show has attracted such an important audience!" He looked to Montaron, who's face had just fallen at the sudden addition of extra confusion, "Jaheira was Ployer's wife for a terribly short time; when she finally opened her eyes to the...kind of man Ployer was, she left him with their young daughter, claiming that she could not offer her a suitable home." He arched his eyebrows and shook his head, "I guess Ployer still has a bone to pick with her after all these years." There was a moment of silence and then he smiled again, "So! You say I am supposed to offer you some help. What kind of help would that be?" He inquired. Xzar, who now had a pounding headache, sighed heavily.  
  
"You tell me." He grumbled, "We've been hired to free a very import fellow from SpellHold, and it's beyond us how we're going to manage it. Ployer told us you would be our greatest ally for the expedition, however." He explained tightly, steepling his fingers before him. Beside him, Montaron's mind was on the girl Atma; she was the Harper's daughter -- which explained their resemblance...now what was Ployer going to do with Jaheira? Renal thought for a moment, his eyes intently examining the pair before him. After a while, he nodded slowly.  
  
"Alright." He replied then held up a finger, "I've got just the thing for you, I think." He crossed his arms over his leather-armored chest and smirked slyly, "But of course my help isn't free. If you boys scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." He purred. Montaron gawked.  
  
"Gethras is dead, isn't he?!" He cried in disbelief, "That's so much scratchin' ye'd be bleedin' by now!" Renal threw his head back and laughed; a golden tooth at the back of his mouth glittered.  
  
"That old fool was just a thorn in my side!" He laughed, "I've got much more important people to worry about...and that's what I'd like you to help me with." He looked to Xzar and Montaron expectantly. Xzar twitched.  
  
"What would you have us do?" The wizard asked. Renal cheered.  
  
"That's the spirit!" He piped enthusiastically, "Alright, listen up. There's a man that used to work for me that got a bit too independant and went off to make his own Guild. Now that's all good and well, but what bothers me is the way this man left my service: he betrayed me, my friends, and that is a dangerous mistake." The master thief shook his head in disappointment, "Now his group and my own are warring for possession of the city; however, our spat is not a legal one. You see, if the Law finds out about our little Guild war, than we'll most likely have to leave Amn altogether and seek refuge elsewhere. You see we can't do that...we're terribly well established here and I'll be damned if the Cowled Wizards kick us out." He frowned deeply, then pointed to Monatron, "The 'Harpers' you met earlier on are a distraction I created to keep the Law's nose out of the Guild war until I find proof of my dissident friend's treachery. When I find proof, our war becomes legal, and the opposing Guild will feel the full potential of my wrath." Xzar held up his hand.  
  
"How does simple proof make war between thieves legal in the eyes of the Law?" He asked confusedly, "I was under the impression that thieves in general were not in league with the law." He quirked an eyebrow. Renal took on a most pleased expression.  
  
"The Shadow Thieves are well known in Amn, my dear man." He replied smoothly, "The Law usually does not step on our toes because we try to give all of our dealings a clean face, so to speak. Of course, half of what we do is not known to the Law, but what IS known is considered entirely legal as far as the authorities go. Now if I present proof of treachery to the Law, they will grant me full rights to exterminate the 'evil' Guild that opposes our 'clean' one." He blinked, "You understand?" Xzar nodded glumly.  
  
"We have to find this proof, don't we?" He droned in a flat voice. Renal winked.  
  
"Clever man!" He replied and clasped his hands together, the rings clinking, "I want you to infiltrate the opposing Guild and find this proof for me." He shrugged and grinned, "It shouldn't be too hard for you...after all, you managed to slip past my boys and kidnap the only real Harper in the building." He chuckled at Xzar and Montaron's unimpressed expressions, "So, what do you say? Will you do this for me?" He asked and smiled expectantly. Montaron waved a hand.  
  
"Whoa." He snapped, "What exactly will ye be doing for us?" He demanded promptly, "I don't care to be used endlessly to no avail." Xzar smirked at that. Renal shook his head, his grin remaining.  
  
"Of course, of course!" He exclaimed brightly, "You remind me of me when I first started." He reminisced for a moment before continuing, "Do this for me and you will have the Shadow Thieves' aid once you reach SpellHold. Also, I will show you to a Cowled Wizard who is a good friend of ours; this mage will send you directly to SpellHold." He cocked his head to the side, "How does that sound, my friends?" Montaron nodded with a smirk.  
  
"Sounds like a deal." He replied, satisfied. Renal pumped his fist into the air and cheered.  
  
"Excellent!" He cried happily, "You will find Mae'Var's GuildHouse down by the shore. It's a grey building...used to be an Inn until the Sea's Bounty forced it to shut down. I will eagerly await your return." He looked over his shoulder at the five men gathered behind him, "Now if you'll leave me, I have work to do." He added lightly. Xzar and Montaron nodded and left.  
  
Once downstairs again, Xzar sighed, "Remember what I said this morning about having to run around...?" He rolled his eyes. Montaron shrugged.  
  
"BloodScalp's gonna take us directly to SpellHold, wizard." He replied soberly, "We won't be running around too much after this." They crossed the room and just before opening the door that lead to the thieves' small shop beyond, Xzar frowned and stopped.  
  
"Did Renal say 'Mae'Var's' GuildHouse?" He asked, suddenly thoughtful. Montaron pushed past him and opened the door.  
  
"Yes. Yes he did." He replied gruffly and strode into the room beyond, "And yes that's where Edwin is." He added, guessing his partner's thoughts, "Maybe ye'll get to rip him to shreds after all..." Xzar mumbled something unpleasant and followed Montaron into the next room. As they strode through, the woman near the tables at the center of the room smiled.  
  
"Welcome back, lads!" She piped, "Why don't ye take a peek at my wares before ye head out." She offered. Rather spitefully, as he swept by, Xzar snatched up his staff from one of the tables.  
  
"This is mine, thank you." He hissed coldly and left the building at Montaron's heels. 


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Galen was in a most foul mood. Ever since he and his Harper associates had arrived in Amn, he had run into nothing but trouble; shifty characters, deceptive peasantry, ruffian scum of all sorts, and a decidedly single-minded government that had to be avoided at all costs. The Docks District of the city of Athkatla was no different, being almost legally run by a clever group of thieves under the power of one Renal BloodScalp. The Harper order had been keeping an eye on the Docks for just under two months now, as rumor had it that some members of their flock had taken up residence there. Of course, no Harpers had been assigned to Athkatla, and so the group at the Docks had become the subject of a small investigation. Jaheira, a Harper who had, for a time, resided within Athkatla, had been sent to assess the situation and had reported that the so-called Harpers were not what they claimed to be and that they were thieves working under BloodScalp. She had then reported back a few days after and notified her order that she was going to remain in Athkatla to investigate the Docks district 'Harpers' furthermore to see if they had tarnished the Harper name whilst using it. Approximately two weeks after that, Jaheira stopped reporting...and so it was Galen's turn to take a trip to Amn.

He stood, now, in the marketplace by the shipyard docks, eyeing a tall building to the left of the city staircase's base. This was where Jaheira had reported that the false Harpers were stationed. The was a beggar standing by the door. Galen sighed; he had been in the marketplace and around the area with his crew since mid morning and even by now, the end of the afternoon, he hadn't seen anyone enter or exit the suspicious building. Someone's hand waved briefly before his eyes and he was pulled from his musings.

"Maybe if you stare hard enough, Jaheira will burst out the door and come running." Riane, one of the Harpers in Galen's team, commented sarcastically as she left a merchant's cart and headed towards her leader. She threw her arms up and waved them dramatically, then half-ran towards Galen, "Galen! Oh Galen I am so glad to see you! It was horrible!" She wailed theatrically then laughed and shook her head, coming to a halt before the taller Harper. Galen was unimpressed.

"Shut up." He snapped tempestuously and shoved the girl out of his way so that he could see the 'Harper' building clearly again, "I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to. And I'll be damned if we have to spend the next few weeks staring at this godforsaken dump..." He signalled to the building with a jerk of his chin, "...so...why don't we just go over there and talk to them." He suggested. Riane raised a roan eyebrow.

"By 'talk to them' you mean 'cut them down', right?" She droned in a flat voice, then, when Galen turned a glare down upon her, she blinked, "Just wanted to make sure I could still speak your language, there chum. No need to jump at my throat." She paused and looked around for the other members of their group, "So...shall I gather the bunch or do you want to stare at the building some more?" She asked primly. Galen frowned.

"Gather the others." He replied and gestured back over his shoulder at the market, "We're gonna pay these guys a little visit." At this Riane nodded and strode past him. He knew very well it was not necessarily wise go the course he was about to go, but it was much more satisfying than endlessly playing spy. Jaheira had reported some specifics concerning the Harper Hold and its inhabitants, so it wasn't as though they were about to run in there blindly. They knew that the building had three floors: the first floor being that of a regular sitting-and-dining room, the second a more ostentatious ceremonial-type hall, and the third being some well-kept living quarters and a storage room. Jaheira had duly noted that the false Harpers must have been in the building for long, because nothing within looked new to its emplacement. Now as for the false Harpers themselves, there were nine of them constantly in the Hold; they were thieves of Renal BloodScalp's and, according to Jaheira, they were quite good at keeping their agenda hidden. To get this information, Jaheira had simply posed as one of BloodScalp's men, assigned to the same task as the others. It was Galen's suspicion that the woman had been exposed as a spy and dealt with accordingly...and if that was the case, then things would not go well for BloodScalp's men.

When Riane returned with the three other members of the party, Galen took a breath, "Alright, lads. Riane and I will take the front and see if our thief friends will cooperate and tell us what happened to Jaheira. Jace--" He looked to the elven man that stood beside Riane, "--I want you to go up on the roof and take a peek inside. Take a peek at the upper levels then get out the way you came, lest you hear that you are needed downstairs." He waited for the elf to nod before continuing, "Kazy, Dyrr," He looked to the two remaining men, a lithe druid and a tall ranger, "You two are backup. Stick by the side of the building and watch the windows. You see or hear trouble, you help. Understand?" He asked; the two men agreed and he took a final breath, "Right then. Spread out." He signalled for Riane to follow him as the others pretended to slip back into the market, slowly making their way to their designed positions. 

As she headed towards the Harper Hold, Riane chuckled, "We are so obvious." She snickered and shook her head, "I bet you ten gold that the thieves in there have been watching us all day, laughing at us." Galen rolled his eyes.

"What is this, Riane?" He asked, irritated, "Is there a priestess of Illmater beneath the Harper I see?" He inquired sarcastically, referring to the Crying God of suffering and martyr. Before the girl could answer, he shot her a dark glare, "Just shut up, alright? You are depressing at best and I could do without your chatter." He snapped. Riane sighed heavily.

"I never liked you." She grumbled under her breath as the two of them stopped before the Harper Hold entrance. With her eyes she followed Jace, who slipped around the building and silently ascended the rickety wooden stairs that lead to a balcony on the third level. Once there, the elf tried the door that lead inside -- it was locked. Riane watched, engrossed and suddenly antsy, as Jace produced a curious set of iron key-sized tools and proceeded to pick the lock. When that was over, the elf disappeared inside the building. Riane turned her attention back to Galen, who had been watching Jace work as well, and managed a small smile. Galen smirked.

"He makes it look much too simple." He commented and Riane shook her head, "Now it's our turn." He declared and raised his hand to knock on the heavy door. He knocked and waited...and waited...and waited. Finally, he knocked again. And waited. He gritted his teeth and knocked a third time. And waited some more. Riane bit her lower lip to avoid snickering.

"Maybe they're not home." She squeaked. The look Galen gave her was pure murder. Within a split-second, the taller Harper was pounding on the door.

"HEY! I know you're in there and that you can hear me!" He cried, making heads turn in the nearby marketplace, "I'm no beggar come to take your coin, fool! Open this door NOW before I open it FOR you!" He roared, teeth clenched and hands curled into fists. A little to the left, Riane grinned cheesily.

"Oh yeah..." She purred cynically, "...very eloquent, Galen." She clapped idly, "I'm sure they'll be up for a friendly chat NOW." She crossed her arms over her chest and tried not to look back at the people staring in the marketplace. Galen's head whipped to the side and he turned his angry visage upon her.

"Shut up!" He hissed and flexed the fingers of one hand. There was a slight creak and the door before them slid open a few inches. Just as a face appeared in the crack, Galen's arm lashed out and pushed the door open the rest of the way, effectively throwing the person behind it back into the wall. The heavily-irritated Harper stepped into the room; at the other end of the hall, near the stairs to go up were three men pointing crossbows at him. Beside him, Riane hurried to help the man that Galen had indirectly smashed into the wall.

"What's going on?!" One of the crossbow-weilding men called, "Who are these people?" He eyed Galen, who now stood stupidly in the middle of the room, then looked to Riane who had seen to the doorman's health and was now excusing herself profusely for the explosive entrance. The man who had been at the door frowned deeply and brushed himself off.

"What in blazes do you want?!" He growled, jerking away from Riane and quickly moving out to where the crossbowmen stood. Galen blinked.

"Why didn't you answer the door?" He demanded frustratedly, "I knocked FOUR times!" He showed four fingers, "FOUR! Can you count?!" He was getting angry again and decided to be quiet and get a hold of himself. After some slow breathing, he blew a curly black lock out of his face, "Alright listen. I am Galen and that over there--" He motioned vaguely behind him, "--is Riane. You have a friend of ours here and we would like to know how she is fairing. Jaheira is her name." He paused when the doorman's eyes narrowed, "You know...Jaheira. About this tall...brownish hair, rather ugly style...half elf." He smiled a nice, fake smile in hopes of looking sincere. The doorman's eyes remained narrowed.

"Jaheira...yes." He drawled, then cocked his head to the side, "Jaheira has been gone for a few days; but she was doing well when last I spoke with her." He paused, "Will that be all, Mister Galen?" He asked primly, his meaning clear. Galen frowned.

"Gone?" He echoed, "Did she say where she went?" He asked, then put on a dejected expression, "She said she'd be here!" He sighed heavily. The doorman examined him attentively, eyes flcking about quickly.

"No, she did not say where she was going." He replied dryly, "I would assume she's to return shortly, my dear man. You are free to return at a later date." He raised an eyebrow. Galen eyed him critically for a moment, wondering if the man was playing him or telling the truth. 

"I am worried." He declared last, "She was supposed to be here...it is really strange that she is missing." He pretended to panic a bit and grow thoughtful, "May I see her quarters? There may be a clue as to where she's gone...or if anything happened to her." His eyes were hard. The doorman blinked and furrowed his brow.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, sir." He said quickly, "Perhaps you should just come back next week and see if she's returned." He raised a hand and offered the Harpers the door. Galen strode towards the doorman and the crossbows fluidly followed his actions; he stopped before the other man and shook his head.

"Listen, my lord." He said seriously, "I think something horrible has happened to Jaheira and I won't rest until I see her again. Dead or alive." He swallowed thickly, "Now tell me...do you know of anything strange that may have happened lately? Has Jaheira ever mentioned anything about having to go somewhere? Has she been acting normally as of late?" He grasped the doorman's shoulders, "Please, you must give me some kind of information!" He pleaded. At the back of the room, Riane silently applauded Galen's show. The doorman sighed heavily and backed away from Galen, then went silent for a moment.

"No..." He said at length, "...I can't remember Jaheira acting strangely or telling me about having to leave town. I haven't heard anything from the others here either." He shrugged, "I've nothing to say, really. I'm as dumbfounded as you are, I suppose." He went silent again then shook his head, "And not much happens here...our order is a peaceful one. You and your friend here are the only guests we've had in a long time -- aside from beggars and the like." He stopped, then looked to Galen, "Which reminds me, we had two visitors a few days back...hopefuls that wishes to join our cause." He nodded slowly, "They did us a favor in hopes of marking their good faith and we in turn allowed them to take a tour of the compound. Jaheira left that day." He held Galen's gaze. The Harper nodded.

"Alright. Do you think the two visitors had anything to do with Jaheira's disappearance?" He asked, eyes wide now. The doorman shrugged.

"I don't think so...but you never know." He replied evasively. Galen licked his lips.

"Can you tell me about these two people then? I'd be forever thankful." He asked kindly, in contrast to his attitude a moment ago. Either the false Harper was trying to throw Galen off, or he was telling the truth...it was hard to tell considering the secretive nature of the man's conversation. Either way, it was wiser to take all the info he could gather...besides, Jace was searching the other floors, and if he came up with anything or not, then it would tip the scales on the false Harper's claims. The doorman nodded.

"Sure. They were two men; a human -- a mage in green robes -- and a halfling...shifty-eyed fellow in warrior's garb." He thought a bit more, trying to dig up more information from his memory banks, "The human's name is Xzar, and the other's name is..." He frowned, "...Montaron, I think. I don't know if they're still around. They said they came down from the Umar Hills." Galen nodded.

"Thank you. I will look into this and will return to you at a later date if my research hasn't turned up anything." He said with a small smile. The doorman bid him goodbye and showed he and Riane to the door. Once outside, they headed back to the marketplace and turned back towards the Harper Hold in order to look for Jace. Both Dyrr and Kazy re-appeared from their own spots around the side of the building and headed towards Riane and Galen. After about ten minutes, a slim figure slipped out of the balcony door. The elf moved to join the others, which he pinpointed within the market after some time.

"Alright...now we find out if the guy I smashed into the wall was serious about Jaheira." Galen said apocalyptically, watching Jace approach. When the man was near, he called out to him, "So...anything interesting?" He asked. Jace stopped before him and pursed his lips.

"Nothing at all." The elf replied, shaking head, "I was rather put off. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary...sorry. I trust you had better luck, Galen." He looked up at the other man with a hopeful expression. Galen nodded gravely.

"Well lads," He said with a sigh, "looks like we've got a hunt on our hands." 


End file.
